The UK is a nation of prolific card-givers. Sending a greetings card remains one of the most powerful ways to connect, support mental health, and share moments of joy. However, with over 850 million cards sent annually, the industry faces an unavoidable challenge: the volume of paper waste generated by the traditional card-and-envelope format.
While the industry has made significant strides in sustainability—shifting to sustainable boards, eliminating plastic cello-wrap, and planting trees—many of these efforts focus on the materials themselves rather than the total volume of waste produced at the point of use.
Bare Cards, a South West-based business, is highlighting a “hidden” waste factor that often goes overlooked: the envelope itself. Due to damage, theft, or becoming separated from cards in store, retailers are often required to stock significantly more envelopes than cards. By using a patented self- sealing format that removes the envelope entirely, Bare Cards offers a practical solution to this single- use paper waste.
“We love that the UK is a country that values the connection provided by greetings cards,” says Ceri Seal, co-founder of Bare Cards. “But we also recognise that when people are busy—especially during peak seasons like Christmas—recycling is often the last thing on their minds, leading to massive amounts of paper in landfill. Our goal is to make a card that is so beautiful it doesn’t need to be recycled at all.”
Beyond eliminating the envelope and cello-wrap, the company’s focus is on repurposing. By designing cards as keepsakes that can be framed as art,
Bare Cards aims to drastically reduce the sheer volume of cardboard entering the recycling stream, which itself consumes significant energy.
By combining the tradition of sending cards with modern design innovation, Bare Cards is demonstrating that small changes to product format can create a meaningful impact on the industry’s environmental footprint.
